Before I left for Vietnam, most people had only one question for me: Why Vietnam of all places? There were a few reasons why it had to be Vietnam and I hope this blog post will answer them and also serve as an introduction to Vietnam.
Before I left for Vietnam, most people had only one question for me: Why Vietnam of all places? There were a few reasons why it had to be Vietnam and I hope this blog post will answer them and also serve as an introduction to Vietnam.
History –
More than anything else, it was the background of Vietnam that attracted me. In college, my professor had explained the Vietnam War with such great effect that it was permanently imprinted in my head. And the more I heard and read about it, I wanted to see the country that managed to defeat the might of the First World with sheer ingenuity. I didn’t read anything extra because I knew I would find lots of history in the country – and I did. From fighter planes, war museums, hidden caves and Uncle Ho’s body, Vietnam is littered with memories of the war.
Price –
Obviously, the destination had to be someplace that would be cheap so I could travel around for a month. When I first read that a dollar equals 20000 dong (Vietnamese currency), I knew I had found my place. Surprisingly, it didn’t take me long to figure out the country. It was almost karmic how I actually stumbled upon the information that made me finalise the country, but that another post altogether. Rest assured, once I figured out how much basic items cost there, I finalised Vietnam and never looked back.
Exotica –
Vietnam is not exactly exotic, although many of its beaches and the mountainous Sapa area can rival any Top 10 list. I had not across a single Indian who had mentioned travelling to Vietnam in the 10 months it took me to get there. There was more than a hint of the unknown and that appealed widely to me. Let me ask you, what do you know about Vietnam today? Not much I’m guessing, apart from a vague idea about the Vietnam War. A journey is as much about learning a new culture as it is about discovering great places. Vietnam had a raw appeal that pulled me to it like a magnet.
Discovery –
I wanted to test myself on this journey. On as many fronts as possible. This was to be the test before I confronted my life goal. Will I be able to communicate in a foreign country where English is hardly spoken outside of its two big cities? Would I be able to sustain myself on food I had never tasted in my life before? Is it possible to budget myself correctly and spend money intelligently? Did I have it in me to travel alone for an entire month in a strange land without being homesick? Was my planning, especially when it came to important stuff like Customs and visas, correct given that information on that front is scarce and varied? And most importantly, did my traveller spirit work outside my own land?
Taking that day long flight with two stopovers and pounding mix of fear and excitement is one of my most cherished memory. Most destinations allow you to discover the place you visit, very few allow you to discover yourself too. That is what Vietnam was meant to do for me and it did its job admiringly.
